Counterfactuals in mainstream media: A pathway for blame attribution and policy endorsement in police lethal force incidents

IF 2.1 3区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL

Applied Cognitive Psychology Pub Date : 2024-06-17 DOI:10.1002/acp.4219

Olivia K. H. Smith, Narina Nuñez

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that exposure to police lethal force through the media impacts individuals' support for police reform, but the mechanism driving this support is underexplored. The current study examines how news media counterfactuals (i.e., creating alternative outcomes for events that have already occurred) influence individuals' processing of police lethal force incidents, and how these perceptions, in turn, impact support for police reform. In a 2 (victim race: Black vs. White) × 3 (counterfactual target: victim, officer, or no counterfactual control) factorial design, 925 participants read a news article summarizing a lethal force incident, assigned blame for both the officer and victim, and reported their endorsement for various police reforms. Results indicated counterfactual target impacted blame attributions, and these blame attributions predicted endorsement of police reform while controlling for Attitudes Towards Police Legitimacy (APLS). These findings illustrate how media counterfactuals can influence blame, and importantly, influence perceptions of various police reforms.

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主流媒体中的反事实：警察使用致命武力事件中的责任归属和政策认可途径

以前的研究表明，通过媒体接触警察使用致命武力会影响个人对警察改革的支持，但这种支持的驱动机制还未得到充分探索。本研究探讨了新闻媒体的反事实（即为已经发生的事件创造其他结果）如何影响个人对警察使用致命武力事件的处理，以及这些看法如何反过来影响对警察改革的支持。在一个 2（受害者种族：黑人与白人）×3（反事实目标：受害者、警官或无反事实控制）因子设计中，925 名参与者阅读了一篇概述致命武力事件的新闻报道，对警官和受害者进行了指责，并报告了他们对各种警务改革的支持。结果表明，反事实目标影响了责任归因，而这些责任归因预测了对警察改革的支持，同时控制了对警察合法性的态度（APLS）。这些研究结果说明了媒体的反事实如何影响责任归因，以及如何影响对各种警务改革的看法。

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来源期刊

Applied Cognitive Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

8.30%

发文量

111

期刊介绍： Applied Cognitive Psychology seeks to publish the best papers dealing with psychological analyses of memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, language, and consciousness as they occur in the real world. Applied Cognitive Psychology will publish papers on a wide variety of issues and from diverse theoretical perspectives. The journal focuses on studies of human performance and basic cognitive skills in everyday environments including, but not restricted to, studies of eyewitness memory, autobiographical memory, spatial cognition, skill training, expertise and skilled behaviour. Articles will normally combine realistic investigations of real world events with appropriate theoretical analyses and proper appraisal of practical implications.